Mystery of the Melting Snowman Read Free

fixed breakfast and left the house munching apples. The two little Maxwell children were already coming outside.
    Amy smiled up at Cindy and picked up some snow.
    “Making more snowmen?” asked Cindy.
    “They’re all gone,” cried Amy. “They melted and melted flat.”
    “They didn’t melt,” Randy said, frowning.
    “Somebody smashed them all up. Bang! Crash! Pow!”
    “How do you know?” Dexter asked. “Did you see someone do that?”
    Randy shuffled his feet in the snow. “No. I just know they didn’t melt, that’s all. It’s too cold.”
    “We’ll build another big snowman later,” promised Cindy.
    “Now-now-now-now!” shouted Amy. She sat down on the snow and started humming to herself.
    Cindy turned to Randy. “Do you remember yesterday when I helped you build the bottom of the snowman?”
    “Sure,” Randy said.
    “Then I had to leave, remember?”
    “Sure,” Randy said again.
    “Did someone else come and help you with the snowman?” Cindy asked.
    Amy nodded. “Oh, yes, and he had two Amys in his eyes. Two Amys, two Amys!” she said, patting the snow around her.

    “Two what?” asked Cindy. Amy didn’t make any sense.
    “Two Amys,” cried Amy again.
    Randy was throwing a snowball up in the air and catching it.
    “Who helped you with the snowman, Randy?”
    Cindy asked him again.
    “Some man,” Randy said. “He was nice. He told us to go in the house and get a carrot for the nose.” He tossed his snowball in the air and watched it splat on the ground. “So Amy and I went in the back door and waited for Mom to get us a carrot for the nose.”
    Cindy thought quickly. That was when the man must have put the dog in the snowman.
    “What did he look like, Randy?” asked Cindy.
    “He was nice,” Randy said.
    Amy had come up behind Randy and was tugging on his jacket. “Gotcha last!” she squealed, and started running. Randy shouted after Amy, “Oh no, I’ll get you last.” He ran after her. They both disappeared behind the house.
    “He sent them in the house for a carrot,” said Jay. “That’s when he rolled the dog into the snowman.”
    “Let’s talk to the kids again,” Dexter said. “Amy doesn’t make sense, she’s too little. But maybe we can find out more from Randy.”
    “All we know so far is that a tall man in a parka was looking for the iron dog in the snowman,” sighed Cindy. “A tall man in a parka.”
    Dexter stared behind Cindy. “Here comes a man now,” he said. “A tall man in a parka!”

Chapter 3
Watching and Waiting
    C INDY TURNED AROUND and faced a young man with blond hair. He was striding toward them. Jay was right—he was tall. And he was wearing a parka. The hood was down.
    He was wearing large mirror sunglasses, and he was carrying a small metal box under his arm. He shifted it to the other arm, and something inside the box clanked. His glasses turned in the direction of the three detectives.
    “Nice morning!” he said.
    “Sure is,” said Dexter.
    Cindy looked at the man’s face. She saw herself reflected in his glasses—two blue jackets, two Cindys. Her thoughts raced. What was it that Amy had said? She saw two Amys in his eyes? Of course! This was the man who had helped Amy and Randy with the snowman! It must be.
    Cindy couldn’t tell whether his eyes were looking at her or at Dexter or Jay or what. The mirror glasses were like a mask.
    The young man looked at the Maxwells’ house. Then at the Tates’. Then at the Temples’. At least, thought Cindy, he turned his head in those directions. With those glasses you couldn’t tell. Anybody who wore glasses like that must have shifty eyes, she decided.
    Amy and Randy came running around the side of the house. “I’m a big snowman and I’m going to get you!” shouted Randy. Amy squealed and ran toward Cindy.
    At that moment the young man quickly pulled his glasses off and put them in his pocket.
    Cindy stared. Why would he do that? Unless he thought Amy was going to recognize